Huntington History Students Advance to State Finals
The study of history is being taken to new heights by five Huntington High School students who have qualified for the National History Day state finals after runner-up finishes in the Long Island regional championships.
Jeffrey Bishop captured second place in the senior historical paper category for his research on the “Compromises of Benjamin Franklin” and Caitlin Etri, Kirsten Freiman, Rebecca Silverman and Colleen Teubner also finished one rung from the top for their senior theatrical performance about the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women’s rights gathering in the United States.
“The students' depth of research and tireless hours of dedication in preparing, revising and perfecting their entries paid dividends in the accomplishment of placing and advancing to the next level of competition," said Joseph Leavy, Huntington director of humanities.
The state finals are slated for May 2 at the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown. The top finishers there will advance to the national championship June 15-19 on the campus of the University of Maryland at College Park.
According to the New York History Day (www.nationalhistoryday.org/NewYork.htm) website, the contest “encourages students to explore local, state, national and world history. After selecting a historical topic that relates to an annual theme, students conduct extensive research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. They analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, and create final projects that present their work.”
Huntington students Aliyah Cohen and Mia Rienzo earned a Best in School Award at Hofstra for their exhibit of “Beauty is Pain.” It chronicled worldwide historical circumstances where women face the conflict of deciding whether to alter their bodies through neck rings, tattoos, foot-binding and other methods to achieve what their respective society perceives as ‘beautiful.’
Ms. Cohen and Ms. Rienzo said the experience was “fun” and said they “loved talking about our project and learning about other ones.”
Last year more than 7,200 New York students in grades 6-12 from 148 schools participated in the contest. National History Day attracted 700,000 students and 40,000 teachers across the country.
“I enjoyed National History Day,” student Jack Castelli said. “It was a special experience and I learned a lot about my topic as well as other topics.” Other students agreed with that sentiment. “History Day at Hofstra was a great experience,” Dylan Tuozzo said. “I enjoyed presenting and I received information and tips for next year. The other projects were amazing and interesting. Overall, it was a great program and I learned a lot.”
Huntington social studies teacher Camille Tedeschi noted the extensive preparation demanded of the local students involved in the regional academic competition. “Generally, students are encouraged to take an in-depth approach to the study of history,” she said. “Our students were motivated to learn and their work proved to be a great success.”
Ms. Tedeschi is the faculty advisor for Huntington’s National History Day club and she counsels students during the development of their projects. That same advice and support will continue through the spring. Ms. Tedeschi said that "Hofstra 2008 was an exciting day and I look forward to Cooperstown,” where students will face stiff statewide competition.
During his years as a teacher, Mr. Leavy helped get the National History Day initiative off the ground in Huntington. He’s pleased it still is a meaningful activity for students and excited several have reached the state finals. "I am also very proud of the continuous efforts and dedication of Ms. Tedeschi who is the inspiration behind her students.”
Teachers James Graber, Roy Dumar and Michael Schwendemann also actively coached the teenagers during various stages of their work, Mr. Leavy said.
The Huntington students headed to Cooperstown hope to soon make their own history while raising the school’s social studies program’s profile in the process. The quartet of students involved in the Seneca Falls Convention performance called National History Day an “amazing experience,” adding they are so inspired they will be entering a project again in the future.
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